Story of a Girl
by DarkLily17
Summary: A tribute to the girls of Yugioh! They never seem to get any attention. A one shot for each female character.
1. Mai

Story Of A Girl - Mai

AN: This was inspired by an AMV called 'This Ones for the Girls of Yu-Gi-Oh', which you should check out :) I don't much like the song, but it gave me this idea ^^

As far as I can remember, there are 13 named girls throughout Yugioh (not including GX or 5Ds) but I might have missed one or two. Once I'm done you can tell me if I've missed anyone out :D

I have almost all the chapters planned out already, it's just a matter of getting them written. But don't expect regular updates – I'm writing other stuff and, well….I'm lazy :P

The first chapter is dedicated to Mai. It's set just after season four, Enjoy :)

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I braked sharply and my motorbike skidded to a halt, the wheels almost failing in their attempt to grip the loose sand. I flipped down the stand with the toe of my boot and dismounted, my tall heels sinking into the sand and making it almost impossible for me to stay upright.

I stared out at the ocean, trying to empty my mind of the thoughts that I couldn't seem to escape. I succeeded to an extent, but as I thought to myself how endless, how eternal, how constant and reassuring the ocean seemed to me, two words kept popping back into my head. The two names of the two people I hadn't been able to stop thinking about since I had woken up: Joey and Valon.

I grimaced to myself, sitting down on the seat of my bike and holding my head in my hands. I let out a low groan in an attempt to release at least some of the feelings trapped inside of me. I didn't work.

"Why does this have to be so _difficult!?" _I asked no one in particular, lifting my head out of my hands and looking around me as if searching for an answer. I beat my palm against my forehead, but if anything that only scrambled my mind even more.

I closed my eyes firmly shut, trying to block out the memories rushing through my mind. In my mind's eye, I saw Valon kneeling on the ground, telling Joey it was up to him to save me…I saw Joey held in my arms, looking up at me through steadily closing eyes…

A tear escaped from under my eyelid. It slid down my cheek and dripped onto my clenched fist. I opened my eyes and tried to relax my hands, wincing at the small cuts my fingernails had cut into my palms.

"I promised I would get revenge for you, Joey…" I whispered, my voice shaking "But I failed. I didn't even get to duel Dartz, all I succeeded in doing was getting my own soul trapped inside that….that _thing_."

More memories flash past my eyes: Joey rushing to protect me from the Winged Dragon of Ra's attack; Joey promising to catch me if I let go of the pole I was clinging on to; Valon jumping from the balcony to stop my duel with Joey; waking up at the end of battle city to see Joey's face; Valon holding out his hand for me to take…

I shook my head violently, trying to dislodge the memories from my mind. More tears burst from my eyes and I held back a scream. I hadn't been able to face my friends after all that I'd done, so I'd left. I was running away and I knew it – running away from my past, and from what I'd done.

So why was my heart screaming for me to turn back? Who even was it my heart truly wanted? I entertained the idea of going back to see the both of them. I knew Valon would instantly welcome me back into his life, or whatever there was left of it. I was quite sure that Joey would be happy to see me too, but at the same time there would always be that nagging feeling of guilt inside of me whenever I was with him.

'Then again,' I thought miserably 'I seem to feel guilty whether I'm with Joey or not.'

The easiest thing to do would be to return to Valon. I knew I loved him, but whether as a friend or something more I hadn't quite figured out yet. It was the same with Joey, and until I figured out exactly what it was I felt, there was no way I could go back.

My heart ached at the thought of being unable to see the two people I cared most about, but I was determined to stay strong. My heart would just have to deal with it. I smiled slightly, because I knew I was trying to think of my heart as something separate from my own body. It was just my way of dealing with things.

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud ringing coming from my pocket. I fished out my mobile and started at the name of the caller.

"Valon" I read out loud, unsure of what to do. I figured no harm could come from answering, so I flipped my phone open and held it to my ear.

"Mai?" said a voice on the other end of the phone. I opened my mouth the answer but no sound came out. There was a lump in my throat and I just couldn't bring myself to talk to him.

"Mai? Mai are you there?" More tears ran down my cheeks as I moved the phone away from my ear and pressed the small red button that would end the call. I imagined Valon calling down the phone a few more times, then staring at it in confusion. The way I pictured it, his expression was a mixture of hurt and concern.

I felt another sharp tug on my heart at the image in my mind.

"Oh Valon" I cried softly, holding the phone close to me as if it were him. "I'm sorry, but I can't talk to you, Valon. Not just yet."

I tried to wipe the tears from my eyes but the more I tried, the more tears fell, landing softly in my lap. In the end I just let them fall, blurring my vision and making it impossible for me to see any more than my own trembling hands. I shook with each of my pained sobs, and I imagined a gentle hand on my shoulder. I imagined turning around and looking up into a smiling face, only the face kept changing. First I saw blond hair and warm brown eyes, then brown hair and shining blue eyes.

As much as I tried to force myself to choose between the two, neither face remained for more than a few seconds before it switched. The image then split into two, and two people held out a hand to me, inviting me to choose between them.

Somehow, those thoughts made me feel stronger. I think it was because I knew that that was what I had to do – I had to choose. One of them was the man I loved, and the other...well I wasn't quite sure about that just yet.

A question forced itself to the front of my mind. 'What if I loved them both?' I frowned at the idea of it, but I wouldn't think about that just yet. In time I knew I would figure out what I had to, but for now I was just going to live my life. I was sure that was the right thing to do.

My mind somewhat clearer, I flipped the stand on my motorbike back up and revved the engine. As I sped along the shoreline, a small smile worked its way onto my lips. Everything was going to be alright, I was sure of that now. And eventually, I would return to see my friends. Things would be different then…better. It would all be alright.

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AN: I hope that was alright :) It's quite short but I couldn't think of anything else to write xD I was trying to capture Mai's feelings of being torn between Valon and Joey, and her being unsure of herself, but at the same time I wanted her to seem independent. I hope I managed that ^^

Reviews make me happy, and when I'm happy I write more ;) Tell me which girl you want in the next chapter! ^_^


	2. Sonia

AN: Yay! I'm updating something ^_^ I don't care if I'm meant to be writing more of AZ of Yugioh Shippings, I like writing this xD

In case you didn't know, Sonia and Julien were Raphael's brother and sister, but were killed in a tidal wave-y thing when they were on a cruise for Raphael's birthday (because they were filthy stinking rich apparently O.o). Near the end of season four, Raphael finds out that Dartz was behind their deaths.

Chapter 2 – Sonia

Nine years ago, I died. I'd been on a cruise with my family – my mum and dad and my brothers, Julien and Raphael. It was Raphael's birthday, and we were all celebrating. We were so happy, but happiness is fleeting, and such a perfect moment could never last. But I was young and carefree, we all were. We couldn't have known what the world had in store for us. I'm almost glad that we didn't, because up until then my life had been almost perfect, and I wouldn't have spoilt that for the world…

"_Happy birthday!" Julien beamed up at his brother, holding out a neatly wrapped gift with a blue ribbon tied around it._

"_This is…" Raphael muttered, taking the parcel. _

"_C'mon, open it!" the younger brother of my brothers insisted, still beaming._

_Raphael carefully tore of the paper and opened the lid of a small, rectangular box._

_He gasped with surprise and delight when he saw the Duel Monster card inside. "Isn't this Guardian Eatos? I've been wanting it!"_

"_Julien and I tried hard to find it for you." I smiled, pleased that he liked it so much._

"_Sonia…" Raphael smiled at me._

_I slid out of my seat and ran to stand next to Julien, clasping my hands together in delight. _

"_Brother," I said. "Happy Birthday!"_

"_Happy Birthday!" Julien echoed, eagerly throwing his hands up into the air._

"_Sonia, Julien," my older brother looked at each of us in turn. "Thank you." he said it sincerely, grateful for the gift we'd spent so long trying to find for him._

_The broad smile each of us shared vanished as the ship lurched, almost knocking me off my feet._

"_What's wrong!?" Raphael cried, sensing the danger that the rest of us couldn't feel, for we were too wrapped up in our own carefree little world to believe that danger could touch us. Without waiting for an answer, he leapt to his feet and ran out on the deck._

"_Wait!" I cried, running after my brother, Julien at my heels. I heard my father cry after us but didn't stop - we needed to go after Raphael. I wasn't quite sure why we did, but it felt important._

_Julien flung open the door leading onto the deck and we both paused, looking around. The cold evening air made me shiver despite my warm clothing._

"_Raphael?" I called, but Julien had already spotted him. We ran over to him, throwing our arms around him in relief._

"_We caught you!" the two of us chimed in unison._

_I glanced up, sensing something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"_

"_Brother?" Julien asked, worried._

"_What's that?" Raphael asked, his voice not much more than a whisper. He was looking straight ahead, as were many other people, I observed. And there was indeed something there, but I couldn't figure out what it was._

_Something burst out of the water near us, tilting the ship until it almost tipped over. Terrified screams filled the air around us, and I clung onto my brothers in fear. _

'_Raphael is here' I reminded myself. 'Nothing can hurt us while Raphael is here.'_

_And I believed it. I absolutely believed in my brother, because I was still a child and I believed that I was invincible. I would grow up, get married, have kids, and would die an old woman. That was the way the world worked, or so I thought. I was a naive child, who truly believed that the world was a kind, forgiving, beautiful place. But the world is anything but forgiving, as we were all about to realise._

_The ship gave another lurch, stronger this time, and I felt my grip falter. I grabbed for Raphael's hand, as did Julien, but neither of us could reach it. It felt as if the hand of fate was pulling us away from him._

_We fell in different directions, and I screamed desperately for Raphael. (1) I felt fear like I had never felt it before, and all I wished in those few seconds was to be back at the table, watching my brother opening his present._

_It seemed impossible that, in just a few minutes, everything I loved was gone – taken from me. The last thing I heard was Raphael screaming my name…and then there was only black._

And just like that my brother was taken away from me, or perhaps it's more fitting to say that we were taken away from him. Either way, all but one of our family had lost their lives on that ship, and the one who remained had a challenge no child should have to face – living life without those you love. Completely and utterly alone.

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The first thing I was conscious of was a terrible pain in the very pit of my stomach. I thought that I was injured, but when I looked down at myself I didn't look completely real, like a reflection in a shop window or a picture on a TV screen.

I just stared in confusion. I brought my hands up close to my face, examining them curiously. But it was hard to focus, as, coupled with the curious pain I still felt within me, I had a nagging feeling of having forgotten something terribly important. Realisation dawned on me as the memories flooded back. _I'm dead _I thought, and somehow this revelation didn't shock me. It was as if my body had known before I was conscious of it.

_My body_ I thought, my mouth twisting into a bitter smile. _Dead people don't have bodies._

Amazed at how calm I felt, I focused on the feeling in my gut. I winced at individual emotions welled up inside of me and merged to form what felt like a pit of despair, engulfing me like a black hole. Sorrow…loss…grief…anguish…misery…guilt. But most of all I felt completely alone, as if the entire world had turned on me and isolated me completely. The feeling of loneliness felt like a weight in my chest, dragging me down….down…

I shook my head, trying to shake off these feelings before they overwhelmed me. I was dimly aware that the feelings weren't my own, and I somehow knew that whoever's feelings they were was suffering far worse that I was. And yet, I could feel a sort of grim determination beneath everything else – a will to survive.

_For them. Because I have to, it's what they would want me to do. They need me to be strong for them, as I've always tried to be._

I knew that I was thinking someone else's thoughts, just as I had known that I was sharing their feelings. And suddenly I knew who's pain it was that I felt. The knowledge filled my heart (or what I imagined to be my heart) with pity, because I wanted anything but pain for him.

_Raphael._ If I was capable of crying, I would have done. I felt the sting of tears that I was unable to shed, but I wasn't crying for myself; I had never been one for self pity, not that I'd ever had a reason to feel it. No, I was not feeling pity for myself, but for my brother. Nobody should ever have to feel the way I knew he did, certainly not a child. And now there was nobody left to comfort him. I didn't need to be told that the rest of my family was dead, I could feel it. I wondered in a detached sort of way whether I would get to see them again, but I was sure that I would. I knew it with a certainty that seemed impossible for such a question, but my heart was telling me that I would see them soon. For now, I knew, I had to stay with Raphael. Even if he couldn't see me, even if I could offer him no words of comfort, I had to stay with him. I just had to. That much, I knew.

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Poor Raphael :( In case you didn't really understand what I was getting at, Sonia is like his guardian angel.

I have a lot more to write for this, but it'll be in separate chapters of this story :)

(1) I'm not quite sure how this is possible, but it happens so….I'll just assume that the laws of gravity don't apply :P


	3. Mana

AN: I'm finally updating something! Hooray!

This is one of the saddest thing's I've ever written, but I also think it's one of the best things. It's long, too! I'm pretty proud of it, so be nice and review. Please? (:

Chapter 3 – Mana

I stood on the palace balcony, leaning against the warm stone as the sun dropped over the horizon, like a pebble thrown in a lake, leaving behind ripples of colour in the darkening sky. I thought of Atem standing in this exact spot the day he became pharaoh. He had been surrounded by his protectors…his accomplices…his friends. A drop of water splashed on the stone beside me and for a second I thought it was raining, but then I felt the wetness on my cheeks and realised that I was crying.

It wasn't so long ago that everything had seemed perfect. Mahad had taken me on as an apprentice, and I spent most of my days learning from my master. But, of course, I always had time for Atem, my other best friend. The boy I had been calling 'prince' for so long was soon to become the pharaoh of Egypt, and we were all thrilled for him.

I watched as the last flicker of light dimmed into darkness, leaving the Western sky a dark, peaceful blue. The sky seemed so incredibly endless, and I couldn't help wondering if the sky was the same in the afterlife. Would there even be a sky? It felt weird to think that, even though there were gone, my friends could still be looking at the same sky as I was. The thought made me feel strangely peaceful.

I stood up, brushing the tears from my cheeks, and made my way through the silent palace. Without everyone that I had known here, the palace seemed colder, emptier. I ran my fingers along the smooth stone walls, thinking of everyone who had walked down this very same corridor. I wondered how many of them were still alive.

My fingers brushed against wood, rather than stone, and I looked up. Blinking away the tears in my eyes, I drew back my hand. I stood in front of the ornate doors that led to the throne room, and I hesitated. I knew that I should go in there. I knew that if I avoided all the places that reminded me of Atem, then I might never have to think about his death. I could shut out my pain forever. But that was cowardly. I wanted to run from the door, run from my memories, but instead I chose to embrace them. I pushed open the heavy doors, and stepped inside.

My brave thoughts immediately vanished, leaving me cold and empty. On the day that Atem had been dubbed pharaoh – the day that everything had changed for the worse – he had sat on that gold, kingly throne, surrounded by his subjects.

Seto, the only survivor of the Sacred Guardians, who had discovered and lost the only family he had, as well as the woman he loved. He was left to rule as pharaoh – more alone now than he had ever been.

_I shed a single tear of pity for the only friend I had left._

Shimon, who had given his life to try and defeat Zorc. It had looked like the power of Exodia could match Zorc's, but in the end the power of darkness had beaten him.

_Another tear was shed for my fallen companion._

Karim, who had sacrificed his life force so that Shada could protect the pharaoh.

_A third tear dripped down my cheek, leaving a shining trail of salt water._

Shada, who took a fatal blow from Zorc that was intended for Atem, thus saving the pharaoh's life.

_The sound of a tear drop hitting the floor echoed in the silent palace._

Aknadin, who had been corrupted by greed - giving up his humanity for power – and had been killed by his own distraught son.

_Another tear, both of anger and grief, left my stinging eye._

Isis, who had sacrificed herself to give me the time to reach Atem, which gave him the chance he needed to defeat Zorc.

_I closed my eyes against the memories, but one warm drop of water escaped from under my flickering eyelids._

And Mahad, who had fused his Ba and Ka together in order to fight Bakura, and had given up his life in doing so. His loyalty and friendship to Atem had remained, even following his death.

My eyes flew open, and I turned and fled from the throne room. I fled from my memories, from my pain and sadness and grief. Forget courage, I couldn't stand the pain. I couldn't bear to think of all the people I had lost in such a short amount of time. It was so much easier to be a coward.

My footsteps echoed on the cold stone floor, and my heartbeat pounded in my ears. I raced down corridor after corridor until I reached the main doors. I seized the handles, heaving the heavy doors open. I stood there, panting, as the cool evening air blew my hair into my eyes. I brushed it away absently, my chest rising and falling more slowly now.

_I gazed out at the world beyond the palace, and a final tear slid down my cheek, the only sign of the agony I felt in my heart for my departed friends._

I began to run again. As stone became sand, my feet began to slip, but my pace didn't slow. With my breath coming out in gasps, I ran. With my heart beating rapidly against my ribs, I ran. With a stitch growing more and more painful, I ran. With a heavy heart, I ran.

I raced through the streets of my home, passing silent homes, many of which had been damaged or destroyed by Zorc, and had not yet been rebuilt. How many people had lost their homes during that battle? And how many had lost someone that they loved? Rage at the monster that had caused so much pain consumed me, but I did not stop. My fury only fuelled my need to flee. To get away from the hell that was left behind.

I barely noticed as I passed the city borders. The emotions inside of me were battling each other, causing chaos inside of me, and I couldn't focus on anything but the steady movement of my feet, one in front of the other. My anger faded to grief, which was replaced by misery, then a feeling of helplessness took over, and finally all I felt was despair.

Suddenly, as though my energy had reached its limit, I could run no more. I stopped dead, quieting the protests of my lungs and muscles. I stood like that for several minutes, until my breathing slowed and my heartbeat returned to normal. The pain in my side was gone, but my heart still ached with a deep, unreachable sadness. My tears had dried up, but inside I was weeping.

I turned to look back at the city that I called my home. Even from a distance, the pharaoh's palace stood out from every other building, towering over the homes and prayer houses. My lips curved into a small smile as I realised that, thought he had only actually _been_ pharaoh for a matter of weeks, I still thought of Atem as the real pharaoh. But then, he had saved Egypt – saved the world. In the end, he had died for his people. He deserved the title of pharaoh more than anyone.

It hit me, as it always did, that he really was gone, and the smile flickered and died. I thought that after a while I wouldn't feel as bad, but the realisation dawned on me again and again, and each time it was worse. I thought of Isis, telling me to leave her and save myself. She told me that my place was with the pharaoh.

"Where is my place now, Isis?" I cried, aiming my question at the sky. Despair overwhelmed me, and I fell to my knees, tears dripping down my face. Since Zorc's defeat, there had been a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Now that feeling had been replaced with a feeling of sorrow…and of being completely, utterly alone.

When we were fighting Zorc, I had locked away my sadness because I had to. I had to go on, I had to fight. But now it felt like I had nothing left to live for. What was the point in life if there was no one left to share it with? No one left to laugh with and to cry with. No one you could embrace when you were happy, no one you could push away when you were upset. No one whose shoulder you could cry on, and no one who needed to cry on yours.

I lay down in the sand; for I no longer had the strength to do so much as stay on my knees. It was like I had gotten my strength from those I cared about, and as each of them died, I lost some of that strength, until I was left with no one but myself. I felt ashamed to think that I couldn't even stand on my own. I knew I should get up, I knew that's what Mahad and Atem would have wanted but I just couldn't do it. I had accepted, deep down, that I had nothing left to live for, and now it was like my entire being had just given up.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, crying silently. It was oddly relieving, giving up. The cold feeling of despair seemed to lift, and I felt wrapped up in my own cocoon of acceptance. Of freedom. The last thing I thought before I drifted into unconsciousness was that I would be seeing my friends again soon. I was dimly aware that I was smiling, and then all I knew was black.

―――――――――

The first thing I was aware of was a voice. No, there was more than one voice. I strained to hear what they were saying, but it was like listening through thick glass. Instead I focused on moving, but my limbs felt like lead and I couldn't lift them so much as an inch. I couldn't even open my eyes. I new I should probably be panicking, but I felt totally calm. Using what I could, I tried to figure out where I was. I hadn't been aware of any smells before, but when I sniffed the air it smelled like roses. This only increased my feeling of calm – I had always loved the smell of roses. Moving on from smell, I felt for a second like I was lying on nothing but air, but as soon as I focused I felt a soft, comforting warmth all around me. It was more like I had been wrapped in blankets than I was just lying there. I thought, with an odd jolt of confusion (my first feeling other than calm since I had awoken) that I couldn't tell where the floor was. It was like there was no up or down.

Suddenly, I was aware that the voices had stopped, and everything was unnaturally silent. One voice cut through the silence. One confident, comforting voice that I knew only too well.

"Mana, you can open your eyes now."

And so I could. I lifted my eyelids with a mixture of uncertainty and eagerness, and looked up at the face I had been longing to see.

"Atem." My voice was choked, but the happiness behind the tears was unmistakable.

The pharaoh (for my mind was still fogged and it didn't occur to me that he was no longer the pharaoh) held out his hand for me to take. The expression I saw in his eyes was welcoming…but also, stern? Angry even, perhaps?

Feeling like a fool, I realised that I could move now. I took Atem's hand gratefully, and he pulled me to my feet. I glanced around me, curious, and to my surprise I saw…well, nothing. All I saw was white. Pure, brilliant, bright white.

I tried to distinguish walls from the floor and ceiling, but there didn't seem to be any way of telling. It was disorientating, not knowing which way was up or down, but I somehow knew that I wouldn't fall. That, at least, I was sure about.

"Where am I?" I asked, and to my ears my voice sounded weak and confused.

"You don't know?" Atem asked me, raising his eyebrows. I shook my head slowly, unsure of myself. "This is the afterlife."

I blinked. "The after…life." My memories came back all at once, and I recalled my last few moments on earth.

"The afterlife." I repeated, with more conviction. "Then it really is you, Atem"

I reached out to touch him, to hold him, but he stepped out of my reach. I stared at him, confused and hurt.

"Mana," he sighed, his voice gentle, "You aren't supposed to be here."

"W-what do you mean? I lived a good life, d-didn't I? I deserve a place in the afterlife, right?" My voice grew steadily higher, and cracked on the last word. Atem smiled slightly, and he stroked my cheek. He lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"Your soul is pure, but you are not yet ready for death." He told me. "It is your fate to live on for many more years, and the Gods insist that you do so. You have to go back."

I took a step back, breathing quickly. "N-no. No! I can't go back, I don't want to live. Not if I have to live without you! Because all my friends are gone, I have nothing left to live for!"

"That's not true," said a voice behind me. I span around, my eyes searching for the person who the voice belonged to. When my eyes met with his, my breath caught in my throat.

"Mahad" I cried, running to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he chuckled, hugging me tightly. After a few seconds he released me, holding me away from him and studying my face.

"It has been a while since I have seen you, Mana. Your face has changed; it is now the face of someone much older. You have suffered a great deal, more than anyone so pure should have to. For that, I apologise."

"Apologise? Why?"

"Because you must continue to suffer. You have to go back" he said simply. I pulled away from him; hating the two people I loved the most for doing this to me. As if reading my thoughts, he continued.

"It is not our decision. It is the will of the Gods that your return to Earth…and they are right. You are young, and it would be a waste for you to give up your life so easily. It will take time, but you will find happiness eventually."

Atem came and stood next to me, slipping his hand into mine. "Mahad is right. You must live out your life. I understand that you feel alone, but you must not give up. Life is precious, and you must make it worthwhile. The people you love have moved on, but there will be other people. Be brave, Mana. We had to be strong and give up our lives, now you have to be strong and cling on to yours."

I stared at him for a long time, unable to believe what I was being told. But they were right, I knew they were. I had to be brave like they were. I had to.

"How?" I asked eventually. "If I'm already in the afterlife, how can I go back?"

"The Gods will take care of it." Mahad told me. "All you have to do is make the decision."

"Then I'll do it." I sobbed, tears falling from my cheeks. "I'll go back. I'll miss you both so very much. And I'm so grateful to both of you…for everything. I'll make you proud – I'll be brave and strong and I'll do good for our people."

"We know you will," Atem smiled.

"Well be watching over you, Mana. Always." Mahad wrapped his arms around me once more, and I held him for the last time. "Goodbye, Mana…"

His voice faded away, and when I looked up he was gone. I turned to Atem, relieved to see that he was still there.

"You made the right choice. I'm glad, although I'll miss you so."

"I'll miss you too," I sniffed, hugging him. He clutched me to his chest, knotting his hand in my hair.

"I'll always be here" he whispered. "Until the end of time itself."

"I know, and I'll never forget you. I'll think about you every day until I die. And then we'll meet again." I smiled weakly.

"I love you, Mana." He looked my in the eye as he said it, and I absolutely believed him. I knew that I loved him too. "Nothing can ever change that."

Atem pressed his lips to mine, gentle yet lustful. A lifetime of love was shared in that one kiss – a lifetime that we could not spend together. Although, in a sense, we would be together, for I knew that he was always with me.

That moment seemed to last an age, and I wished it could have lasted forever, but all good things must come to an end. Just as I began to change my mind, began to pull away and say that I wanted to stay with Atem, where I belonged, he was gone. Or maybe I was gone. All I knew was that the ground seemed to be gone from beneath me, and I was falling. I panicked and tried to scream, but if I did manage to make a sound, I didn't hear it. Then the feeling of falling was gone. All feelings where gone. My senses had all disappeared, and I was nothing more than a spirit. No, no even that…just a consciousness. A memory, perhaps.

Then the ground came back, along with all of my senses, as I returned to my body. Oh the pain. I could barely open my eyes against the glare of the sun, for the slightest bit of light burnt. It was like I had never seen day before. The desert was practically silent, but even the wind rushing past my ears sounded like a hurricane, and the buzz of a nearby insect was amplified a thousand times louder. My nose picked up scents that I would never have noticed before, and they overpowered me. Moving was like trying to stand when you have been sitting for hours on end, only a hundred times worse, and in every part of my body. It was like I had been born anew, with each sense fresh and unused.

My entire body ached, and yet somehow I managed to stand, perhaps by sheer willpower. I decided, as I took my first unsteady step towards the city, that I would not cry any longer. I knew that my sadness would never truly go away, but neither would my friends. They were with me as I forced myself forward, one step at a time, cheering me on. They would always be there to help and guide me. So, with their help, I would carry on. I would lead my life as they wanted me to, living for them as well. I would be strong, like Atem wanted me to be.

And I was. I lived for many years, becoming a powerful magician, and generally leading a happy life. I was always grateful to my friends for giving me the push that I had needed, when I had reached the very bottom. And each day I thanked the Gods for this second chance at life.

As I lay on my deathbed, decades after Zorc had been defeated, I clutched the Millenium Ring to my chest. I had inherited it long ago, and it had always made me think of Mahad. I looked back on my life, remembering the best and worst moments. Remembering those I had loved, and those I had lost. There had been many great moments in my life, and I thought of them with a smile on my face. The last thought I had, as I dwelled on my memories, was that I had never fallen in love again. I closed my eyes, letting go of life, and uttered my final word.

"Atem"


End file.
